Machine for producing tubular elastic netting

ABSTRACT

A latch needle multifeed circular-knitting machine having means to knit chain stitches of individual inelastic warp yarns on each of a circle of spaced needles at each of the feeds of the machine to form a circle of spaced chain stitch warp strings and having means to feed tensioned elastic yarn to the needles below their opened latches at one feed of the machine whereby the elastic yarn is castoff and is incorporated unknit in spaced chain stitches of the circle of warp strings to produce circular knit tubular openwork elastic mesh netting or fabric. Each yarn is fed to a needle by an L-shaped finger attached to a finger shaft the axis of which is located within the needle circle so that the finger moves back and forth across the needle circle and around the needle to feed the yarn thereto.

United States Patent [72] Inventor [21] AppLNo.

[221 Filed [45] Patented [54] MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TUBULAR ELASTIC NETTING 1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 66/9, 66/135 [51] lnt.Cl D04b9/16, D04b 15/50 [50] Field oISearch. 66/135,

meisi xil iol sl, 192. 193

3,248,905 5/1966 Krauss et al. 66/192 3,251,201 5/1966 Newman 4. 66/192 FOREIGN PATENTS 177,626 8/1905 Germany 66/135 208,971 4/1909 Germany 66/135 352,543 7/l93l Great Britain 66/135 568,130 3/1945 Great Britain 66/135 443,983 1/1949 Italy 66/135 152,926 11/1963 U.S.S.R. 66/9 167,941 7/1965 U.S.S.R. 66/9 Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds ABSTRACT: A latch needle multifeed circular-knitting machine having means to knit chain stitches of individual inelastic warp yarns on each of a circle of spaced needles at each of the feeds of the machine to form a circle of spaced chain stitch warp strings and having means to feed tensioned elastic yarn to the needles below their opened latches at one feed of the machine whereby the elastic yarn is castoff and is incorporated unknit in spaced chain stitches of the circle of warp strings to produce circular knit tubular openwork elastic mesh netting or fabric. Each yarn is fed to a needle by an L-shaped finger attached to a finger shaft the axis of which is located within the needle circle so that the finger moves back and forth across the needle circle and around the needle to feed i the yarn thereto.

PATENTEnJuusmn 3.592 024 sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR (VA THAN LE VIN BY wa wa/ b w A TTORNE) MACHINE FOR PRODUCING TUBULAR ELASTIC NETTING The present invention relates generally to the art of knitting and more particularly to a latch needle multifeed circularknitting machine for the production of circular knit tubular openwork elastic mesh netting or fabric and to fingers for the feeding of warp yarns individually to the needles of the machine for the formation of individual chain stitch warp strings thereon. The fabric produced by the machine of the present invention is composed or a series of circumferentially spaced lengthwise extending chain stitch warp strings of relatively inelastic yarn and of elastic yarn extending weftwise peripherally about the warp strings in spaced convolution spiral form in generally transverse relation thereto with the elastic yarn convolutions incorporated in spaced chain stitches of the warp strings, the arrangement being such that the strings and the elastic yarn provide openwork therebetween while the elastic yarn permits the fabric to be transversely stretchable.

It is among the principal objects of the present invention to rovide a latch needle multifeed circular-knitting machine for the production of the above set forth fabric wherein such machine is capable of knitting individual chain stitch warp strings of relatively inelastic yarn upon each of a spaced series of latch needles at each feed of the machine and is also capable of feeding an elastic yarn under tension to the needles at I one of the feeds of the machine in such manner as to be incorporated in spaced chain stitches of the warp strings.

It is also an important object of the present invention to provide novel yarn fingers to feed individual warp yarns to the vertically movable latch needles of the machine, the yamfeeding portion of each of the present fingers moving back and forth along an arc the axis of which is in spaced parallel relation to the needle to which yarn is fed, the finger axis being located within the needle circle and the arc of its travel being across the needle circle and around the needle.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully apparent hereinafter, it being understood that the present invention is primarily concerned with a latch needle multifeed circular-knitting machine having the combination of means to produce circular knit tubular openwork elastic mesh netting or fabric thereon and with novel means to feed individual warp yarns to the latch needles, all as will be described in detail hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawings which are illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of portions of the latch needle multifeed circular-knitting machine of the present invention showing the novel fingers for feeding individual warp yarns to the latch needles and the means for feeding tensioned elastic yarn to the needles.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view, on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the relationship of the yarn feeding fingers to the needles at each feed of a four-feed machine in combination with the feeding of the elastic yarn under tension at one of the feeds.

FIG. 3 is a developed front elevational view showing the relationship of the needles of the machine, their yarn-feeding fingers and the elastic yam-feeding at the elastic yam-feeding station of the machine.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a yam-feeding finger in nonyarn-feeding radial position relative to its associated needle.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that of FIG. 4 with the yam-feeding finger angularly displaced and in yam-feeding position relative to its associated needle. I

FIG. 6 is a detail view showing a portion of the finger cylinder in section, a yam-feeding finger, its associated spring actuated plunger and the manner in which the finger may be inserted and withdrawn from the needle cylinder, and

- FIG. 7 is a schematic stitch diagram showing one type of openwork elastic mesh netting made upon the machine of the present invention.

In FIG. I of the drawings the machine embodying the present invention is shown as being provided with the usual side frames 10 and 11 which support a horizontal bedplate 12 therebetween in customary manner. Rotatably supported in the bedplate is a conventional rotary ring (not shown) upon which is mounted a cylinder cam box 13 and a pair of upright posts 14, 14 for rotation therewith, the cam box encircling a stationary slotted needle cylinder 15 within which a circle of spaced reciprocating latch needles N are disposed. Conventional needle-operating cams in the cam box raise and lower the latch needles at each feed of the machine, the latter, in the present instance, being a four-feed machine.

Supported upon and suitably secured to the upper ends of the posts 14, 14 is a rotary horizontal plate 16 which, in turn, provides support thereon for acone of elastic yarn 17, for a series of four downwardly extending equally circumferentially spaced cam posts 18 (one of, which appears in FIG. 1) and which also provides centering support for a stationary finger cylinder 19 the upper end of which is of reduced diameter and is joumaled therein. An annular. ring 20, suitable secured to the upper end of the finger cylinder 19, overlies the plate 16. The posts 18, which have their upper ends suitable secured to the plate 16, are disposed around the machine as shown in FIG Z and have finger-operating cams 21a, 21b, 21c and 21d suitably secured to their lower ends at an appropriate level, the said cams being generally fiat and extending radially of the finger cylinder 19. The cam 21a is broken away to show the feeding path of the elastic yarn 17 to the needles. The fourfeeds of the machine may be referred to by designating the individual onesof the four finger-operating cams, each of the latter being disposed in timed operating relation to one of the usual four sets of needle-operating cams (of a four-feed machine) in the cam box 13.

The plate 16 is also provided with a yarn stand 22 by means of which the elastic yarn 17 may be drawn off its cone after whichit passes through .a suitable aperture-in the plate as it is being fed under tension to the needles at the feed 21a of the machine. The elastic yarn is tensioned, in the present instance, by passing between a pair of tension discs 23, 23 mounted on an upright post 24 set in the cam box 13 and, rotating therewith, the tension being adjustably provided by means of a coil spring 25 adapted to be adjustably compressed against the upper disc 23 by appropriate movement of a nut 26 on a threaded member 27 extending upwardly from the post 24 through the discs 23, 23 and the spring 25, the post 24 being vertically positioned in the cam box 13 so that the elastic yarn is fed to the needles at the level of the upper end 15a of the needle cylinder 15.

The finger cylinder 19 itself, coaxially aligned with the needle cylinder, is suitably secured by means of a setscrew 29 to the lower end of a vertical stationary shaft 28 passing therethrough, the shaft extending downwardly from and being secured by means of a setscrew 30 in the horizontal extension 31 of a vertically extending side support member 32 suitably secured to the side frame 11 of the machine. The finger cylinder is provided with a circular series of circumferentially spaced vertically extending apertures 33 passing therethrough, FIG. 6, it is also provided with a like numbered circular series of circumferentially spaced radially extending bores 34 each of which intersects one of the apertures 33 at right angles thereto and the cylinder is further provided with a 7 like numbered circular series of circumferentially spaced vershould be noted that the mean diameter of the circle of finger shafts 36 is less than that of the needle circle of the machine so that the axis of rotation of each finger 37 is within the needle circle. Slidably positioned in each bore 34 is a hollow cylindrically shaped plunger 33 closed at one of its ends to receive therein a compression spring 39 of suitable length and which, in compressed state, is adapted to engage the end of the bore 34 and the closed end of the plunger 38 to urge the latter radially outwardly of the finger cylinder. Each shaft 36 is provided with a transverse slot 36a (on the side thereof opposite to its finger 37) within which the plunger 38 is adapted to be seated against the flat bottom thereof when the shaft 36 is fully inserted in the finger cylinder l9, as shown in FIG. 1. The plane of the bottom of slot 36a is at right angles to the plane of the finger 37 whereby the latter is positioned radially of the finger cylinder when plunger 33 is seated in the slot 36a.

Each finger 37 may be readily inserted, FIG. 6, in an aperture 33 of the finger cylinder 19 with the temporary aid of any suitably shaped rodlike member, such as that shown at 40. The member 40, inserted through the end of bore 34, first depresses the plunger 33 sufficiently to enable the free end of shaft 36 to be moved upwardly past a portion of the face of the plunger 38 after which the member 40 is withdrawn whereby the shaft 36 may then be moved pastthe plunger 38 to a position wherein the latter may be seated in the slot 360 of the shaft. Each finger 37 may be readily removed from the finger cylinder 19 by first rotating its shaft 36 until a circular portion thereof is in contact with the face of plunger 38 after which the shaft may then be fully withdrawn from the aperture 33 within which it was disposed. The construction of the parts is such that each plunger 33 not only maintains its finger shaft 36 and finger 37 vertically disposed at a predetermined level but it also yieldingly maintains the same in a predetermined angular position radially of the finger cylinder and quickly returns the same to such angular position after angular displacement therefrom by the finger-operating cams 210 through 21d, the displacement being less than 90.

The fingers 37 are progressively angularly displaced by the action of each of the finger-operating cams 21a through 211d (positioned at the level of the finger arms 37a) as the latter rotate counterclockwise, in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2, during which time they progressively engage with and deflect the arms 37a of the fingers, each finger thus being turned about the axis of its shaft 36 from its radial position, FIGS. 2 and 4, counterclockwise to its angularly displaced position, FIGS. 2 and 5, after which upon being free of said finger cams, the fingers return in clockwise direction to their radial positions by the action of their spring pressed plungers 38. It may be noted that the angular position of the finger cylinder 19 is such that the radial position of each finger 37 is to the left of its associated needle, FIG. 3, or may be said to be positioned on the clockwise side of the needle to which it feeds yarn, FIG. 2.

With the fingers 37 in position in their cylinder, FIG. 11, individual warp yarns, each of which is indicated at 41, may be threaded through the holes in the arms 37b thereof, the yarns coming from any suitable source (not shown), such as a creel of individual cones or a yarn beam, the location of which need not be upon the machine itself but which is preferably adjacent thereto. The yarns 41, coming from their source, preferably pass through suitable circularly arranged apertures in a yarn ring 42 attached to the upper end of shaft 23 after which they pass within the ring 20, through the yarn holes 35 and then to the respective fingers 37 to be fed to the needles.

The present machine produces a circular knit tubular openwork elastic mesh netting or fabric of indefinite length comprising a circular series of spaced warp strings with each string made up of chain stitches of relatively inelastic yarn 411 and an elastic yarn 17 extending weftwise peripherally about, the fabric in spaced convolution spiral form in generally transverse relation to the warp strings with individual convolutions of the elastic yarn incorporated in spaced chain stitches of the warp strings, the arrangement being such that the strings and the elastic yarn provide openwork therebetween while the elastic yarns permits the fabric to be transversely stretchable. A portion of this fabric is shown in FIG. '7 wherein three of the warp strings, each made of a yarn 41, are each indicated at 43 and wherein each string 43'is composed of recurrent series of your chain stitches 43a, 43b, 43c and 43d.

The length of the arm 37a of each finger 37 and the location of the latters axis of rotation, relative to the needle associated therewith and to the needle circle, is such, FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, that when the finger is radially disposed, its arm 37b and the yarn 41 carried thereby is outside the needle circle and on the clockwise side of the said associated needle. In this position of the fingers, the yarns 41 extend outwardly of the needle circle from the last chain stitches thereof on the needle shanks at the level 15a of the needle cylinder to the arms 37b of the fingers. This is shown in FIG. 4 wherein the spring 39 acting through plunger 38 seated in slot 360 of the shaft 36 causes the finger to be radially disposed. When the fingers 37 are turned through a counterclockwise arc, FIGS. 2 and 3, by the cams 21a through 21d, the arms 37b thereof carry the yarns 41 around and feed them to the needles N, the latter having been raised to latch clearing level to receive the yarns. The ends of arms 37b extend below the level of the needle hooks at their latch-clearing level and pass around the same to bring the yarns 41 into contact with the opened latch needles. The angular displacement of the fingers, FIG. 5, is sufficient to feed the yarns around the needles and is less than 90 so that the plungers 38 acting upon the comers 36b of the slots 36 may act to quickly return the fingers to radial positions once they are free to do so.

The action of cam 21a will be set forth, it being understood that the other cams 21b, 21c and 2lld act similarly on the fingers at the same time at the other three feeds of the machine. The machine feed at which cam 21a functions is known as the elastic yarn feed inasmuch as the elastic yarn is fed to the needles at the feeding station of the machine with which this cam 21a is associated. The cam 21a is positioned to act upon the fingers 37 in timed relation to the action of the needle cams in cam box 13 so that as the needles N are raised and lowered the fingers are operated to feed the yarns 41 to the needles to be knit thereby. In FIG. 3, the two needles N are shown at tuck level whereas needle N-l has been raised from tuck to latchclearing level, the needle N-2 has been lowered to stitch-forming level below the level of he top 1130 of the needle cylinder and the needle l d-3 has been raised from the stitch-forming level to tuck level. With respect to those needles at tuck level their fingers 37 are in nonfeeding radial positions, with respect to the needle N-l, as it moves from tuck to latch-clearing level, its finger 37 is being turned by cam 21a to feed yarn-411 around the same and with respect to needle N-2, as it moves from latch-clearing level to stitch-forming level, its finger 37 is held in its turned position. Once needle N-2 is at stitch-forming level, its finger 37 is permitted to return to radial position (cam 21a having passed the same) so that as needle N-2 moves upwardly tp the tuck level position of needle N3, the yarn 41 is positioned outside the needle circle and on the clockwise side of the rising needle where it is in position to be fed again to the needle at the next feed of the machine.

At the same time that the yarns 411 are fed to and knit by the needles at the elastic yarn feed of cam 21a, the elastic yarn itself is fed under the tension of the discs 23, 23 to the outside of the needle shanks, FIGS. 2, 3, at the level 13a on top of the needle cylinder, so that the elastic yarn is positioned below the opened latches of the needles in the position of needle N-l as they are progressively raised to latch-clearing level with the result that this elastic yarn is progressively castoff over the needle hooks at this feed as the needles are progressively lowered to the stitch-forming level of needle N-2 to knit chain stitches 43a of the yarns 4B, the elastic yam thus being incorporated unknit in the chain stitches. The chain stitches 43a are knit at the feed 21a while the stitches 43b, 43c, and 4311 are knit at the feeds 21b, 21c and 21d of the machine.

The number of needles N arranged in the needle cylinder will be determined by the number of warp strings 43 desired in the fabric while the number of chain stitch forming feeds will be determined by the desired spacing of the spaced chain stitches 43a within which the convolutions of the elastic yarn 17 are to be incorporated. Obviously, the number of fingers 37 and finger shaft apertures 33 will depend upon the number of needles N being used in the needle circle. While the fingers 37 are shown as being used herein for the feeding of individual yarns 41 to the needles N for the formation of warp strings in combination with the means for incorporating the tensioned elastic yarn in the warp strings, it should be understood that the fingers 37 of the present invention are capable of general use for other purposes and that, within the principle of the present invention, other means may be used to feed the yarns 41 to the needles N and that other means may also be used to provide tension for the elastic yam. It should also be noted that the usual fabric takeup (not shown) of the machine functions in customary manner to tension the fabric and to move the same downwardly away from the needles as it is being formed thereon.

I claim:

1. A multiple feed circular-knitting machine having a slotted stationary needle cylinder, a circular series of spaced latch needles individually disposed in said cylinder slots, a circular series of yarn fingers individually associated with said needles and adapted to feed individual yarns thereto, each of said fingers comprising a cylindrically shaped shaft portion of which one end thereof extends normally from the end of one arm of a generally flat inverted L-shaped portion of which the end of the other arm thereof is provided with at least one yarn aperture extending laterally therethrough, a stationary finger cylinder axially aligned with and disposed above said needle cylinder in spaced relation thereto, said finger cylinder having a circular series of vertically extending apertures within which said fingers are adapted to be individually disposed in such manner that said shaft portions of said fingers are rotatably supported therein and so that their inverted L-shaped portions depend from said finger cylinder, said finger cylinder having a second series of vertically extending apertures through which said yarns are threaded and from which said yarns extend directly to and are individually threaded transversely through the yarn apertures in said other arm of said fingers, said yarn fingers being oscillatably moved about the axis of their shaft portions between two angular positions thereof, springs individually related to said yarn fingers and anchored by said finger cylinder to yieldingly retain said yarn fingers in one of said two positions, a revolving cam ring encircling said needle cylinder, a horizontally extending cam plate supported by and disposed above said cam ring in spaced relation thereto and revolving therewith, said cam ring being centrallyapertured and being operatively related to said finger cylinder in such manner that said central aperture provides centering support for said finger cylinder, cams supported by and depending from said cam plate at each feed of said machine to successively engage and move said one arm of said fingers to progressively turn the latter to the other of its two said positions against the action of said springs on said yarn fingers thereby to feed said yarns to said needles. 

1. A multiple feed circular-knitting machine having a slotted stationary needle cylinder, a circular series of spaced latch needles individually disposed in said cylinder slots, a circular series of yarn fingers individually associated with said needles and adapted to feed individual yarns thereto, each of said fingers comprising a cylindrically shaped shaft portion of which one end thereof extends normally from the end of one arm of a generally flat inverted L-shaped portion of which the end of the other arm thereof is provided with at least one yarn aperture extending laterally therethrough, a stationary finger cylinder axially aligned with and disposed above said needle cylinder in spaced relation thereto, said finger cylinder having a circular series of vertically extending apertures within which said fingers are adapted to be individually disposed in such manner that said shaft portions of said fingers are rotatably supported therein and so that their inverted L-shaped portions depend from said finger cylinder, said finger cylinder having a second series of vertically extending apertures through which said yarns are threaded and from which said yarns extend directly to and are individually threaded transversely through the yarn apertures in said other arm of said fingers, said yarn fingers being oscillatably moved about the axis of their shaft portions between two angular positions thereof, springs individually related to said yarn fingers and anchored by said finger cylinder to yieldingly retain said yarn fingers in one of said two positions, a revolving cam ring encircling said needle cylinder, a horizontally extending cam plate supported by and disposed above said cam ring in spaced relation thereto and revolving therewith, said cam ring being centrally apertured and being operatively related to said finger cylinder in such manner that said central aperture provides centering support for said finger cylinder, cams supported by and depending from said cam plate at each feed of said machine to successively engage and move said one arm of said fingers to progressively turn the latter to the other of its two said positions against the action of said springs on said yarn fingers thereby to feed said yarns to said needles. 